Seattle SuperSonics' Eddie Johnson, Ricky Pierce and Benoit Benjamin are flourishing with their new team, but veteran Seattle guard Nate McMillan still has his moments.
The newest Sonics, all obtained during the last three months via eye-popping trades, combined for 61 points Thursday night to lead Seattle to a 91-86 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.But it was McMillan, the oldest Sonic in terms of service with the club, who carried them down the stretch.
McMillan scored six consecutive points during a pivotal 1:30 stretch of the fourth period, scoring nine of his 11 points in the final 5:06. He also finished with a season-high 11 rebounds and eight assists, all off the bench.
"Nate did it all," said Seattle Coach K.C. Jones. "He quarterbacked us, he played great defense and he took it inside and rebounded when we needed it. He's very quiet, but we know how important he is for us."
Pacers 145, Nuggets 125
At Indianapolis, Reggie Miller scored 33 points as the Pacers set season highs with 71 rebounds and 76 points in the first half. Vern Fleming added a career-high 31 and Rik Smits added a season-high 31 points. Blair Rasmussen and Marcus Liberty each scored 18 points to lead Denver, which at 16-42 has the worst record in the NBA.
Suns 106, Hawks 104
At Atlanta, Tom Chambers hit a 15-foot jumper with three-tenths left and finished with 26 points as the Suns snapped Atlanta's franchise-record 22 straight home victories. Atlanta was paced by Dominique Wilkins with 27 points and 15 rebounds.
Rockets 122, Mavericks 90
At Houston, Otis Thorpe scored 24 points and Kenny Smith added 19 as the Rockets won their third straight and 12 of their last 15 games. Eric "Sleepy" Floyd scored 15 points and Buck Johnson finished with 14 for the Rockets.
Bucks 99, Lakers 94
At Milwaukee, Jeff Grayer hit two free throws with 12 seconds left and scored a career-high 23 points as the Bucks claimed their first triumph over a team with a winning record since a Jan. 5 victory over Phoenix.
Spurs 111, Nets 99
At San Antonio, Terry Cummings scored 25 points and helped awaken San Antonio early in the second half to a win over the Nets, who suffered their ninth consecutive road loss.
Warriors 122, Cavaliers 92
At Oakland, Chris Mullin's 20 points led six Golden State scorers in double figures as the Warriors won for only second time in eight games. Tim Hardaway added 19 points for Golden State. Alton Lister, playing his best all-around game of the season, had 17 points and 11 rebounds.